Bill Text: TX HJR87 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced

Texas House Joint Resolution 87 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the payment of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's convict leasing system.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-11 - Referred to Appropriations [HJR87 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HJR87-Introduced.html

	86R13111 AAF-D

	By: Reynolds	H.J.R. No. 87



	A JOINT RESOLUTION
	proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the payment of
	reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's
	convict leasing system.
	BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Article I, Texas Constitution, is amended by
	adding Section 30a to read as follows:
	Sec. 30a. (a) In this section, "commission" means the Texas
	Historical Commission or its successor in function.
	(b) The commission, in consultation with any agency of the
	state that the commission determines is necessary, shall identify
	the next of kin, if any, of each of the 95 convict leasing victims
	whose remains were discovered in 2018 at the site of the former
	Imperial State Prison Farm in Sugar Land. The next of kin described
	by this subsection are entitled to reparations to compensate for
	the harm caused by the state's convict leasing system.
	(c) The commission shall determine the amount of
	reparations to which the next of kin described by Subsection (a) of
	this section are entitled.
	(d) The commission shall adopt a schedule of reparations
	payments for the next of kin described by Subsection (a) of this
	section. Each next of kin is entitled to an equal dollar amount of
	the reparations.
	(e) Reparations are payable from funds appropriated for
	that purpose. Payment shall be made in the manner provided by law
	under the general supervision of the commission.
	SECTION 2. The following temporary provision is added to
	the Texas Constitution:
	TEMPORARY PROVISION. This temporary provision applies to the
	constitutional amendment proposed by the 86th Legislature, Regular
	Session, 2019, that requires the Texas Historical Commission to
	make payments of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims
	of the state's convict leasing system. On the date the commission
	completes reparations payments to the next of kin:
	(1) this temporary provision expires; and
	(2) Section 30a, Article I, of this constitution
	expires.
	SECTION 3. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be
	submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 5, 2019.
	The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the
	proposition: "The constitutional amendment requiring the payment
	of reparations to the next of kin of certain victims of the state's
	convict leasing system."